Folding carton structure



Sept. 26, 1961 c. J. SHEPHERD 3,001,686

FOLDING CARTON STRUCTURE Filed April 8, 1957 United States Patent Ofiice3,001,686 Patented Sept. 26, i fil 3,001,686 FOLDING CARTON STRUCTURECharles John Shepherd, Hometown, 11]., assignor to Labels Incorporated,Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 8, 1957, Ser.No. 651,536 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) The present invention relates to anovel sheet material foldable box, and more particularly to a novelsheet material book fold type box construction.

At present there is in general use a bafile type book fold or carton forshipping, storing or mailing books, which book fold has opposite endportions which are repeatedly folded to provide battle constructions forprotecting ends of books or other articles to be packaged in the carton.The construction of such prior cartons is such that they requireconsiderable amounts of stock material for the bafiie portions thereofand they are also relatively difiicult to assemble so that they areusually packed with time consuming, expensive hand labor.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novelcarton or book fold which is constructed so that it requiressubstantially less stock material than baffie type book folds heretoforegenerally used whereby to promote more economical production of thecarton and also so as to reduce the weight of the carton and therebyreduce shipping and handling problems and costs.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a novelone piece sheet material book fold or carton which may be relativelyeasily and quickly as sembled and which is adaptable for assembly bymachines rather than by hand labor.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel onepiece sheet material book fold or carton of the above described typewhich is of rugged construction and which is adapted to provide improvedprotec tion for books or the like packaged therein.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a novel book fold or cartonincorporating the features of the present invention and in a fullyassembled condition;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken along line 22 in FIG. 1;

:FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the novel book fold or carton ofFIGS. 1 and 2 in a partially assembled or folded condition and furthershowing the manner in which a book fits within the carton;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a book fold or cartonin a fully assembled condition and embodying a modified form of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a book fold or cartonblank of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in a partially assembledor folded condition; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the modified structure in a partiallyassembled condition.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts aredesignated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a bookfold or carton 10 incorporating one embodiment of the present inventionis shown in FIGS. 1-4. The folder or carton is formed in one piece fromsuitable sheet material such as paperboard, corrugated board, fiberboard, plastic and the like. The blank for the folder or carton isprovided with a main central section 12 which may conveniently bedesignated as the bottom section. Opposite side sections 14 and 16 arearticulated to opposite edges of the bottom section along scored bendlines 18 and 2%) respectively, which side sections, in the embodimentshown, have a width or height substantially similar to the thickness ofa book 22 to be packaged within the carton. Complementary panels 24 and26 are respectively articulated to the side sections 14 and 16 alongscored bend line 28 and Si and these panels combine to provide a closedtop for the carton when the blank is fully assembled.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention,opposite end portions of the folder or carton are formed so aseffectively to protect a book or the like packaged Within the cartonwhile at the same time enabling a carton to be produced from less stockmaterial and to be rapidly and economically assembled. Morespecifically, end sections 32 and 34 are articulated to 053- posite endsof the bottom section 12 along scored bend lines 36 and 38 respectivelyand additional end sections 40 and 42 are articulated to the sections 32and 34 respectively along scored bend lines 44 and 46. Triangular endportions 48 and 50 are integrally joined to corresponding ends of theopposite side panels 34 and 16 along scored bend lines 52 and 54, andthese triangular portions are also integrally joined to opposite ends ofthe section 32 along scored bend lines 56 and 58, which last mentionedbend lines extend diagonally from the corners of the bottom section 12when the blank is in a flat condition. Cornplementary end sections 60and 62 are integrally articulated to corresponding ends of the toppanels 24 and 26 along scored bend lines 64 and 66 respectively, andthese end sections are also joined to the triangular portions 48 and 50along scored bend lines 68 and 70.

The carton is provided with additional triangular portions 72 and 74identical to the above mentioned triangular portions but integrallyjoined to opposite ends of the side panels 14 and 16 along scored bendlines 76 73. Complementary end sections St! and 82 joined to the toppanels 24 and 26 along scored bend lines 84 and 86 are also joined tothe triangular portions 72 and 74 along scored bend lines 83 and 90. Theremaining edges of these triangular portions are integrally joined tothe end section 34 along scored bend lines 92 and 94.

The folder or carton 10 may be applied to a book or the like in thefollowing manner. With the carton blank in a flat condition, the book 22is placed on the central bottom section 12. Then the oppcni-te sidepanels 14 and 16 are folded upwardly along opposite edges of the bookand at the same time the complementary top panels 24 and 26 are foldedsufiiciently to bend the blank along the fold lines 28 and 30 andfinally sufilciently to locate the panels 24 and 26 over andsubstantially against the book. During folding of the side panels andthe top panels, the triangular end portions 485ll and 72-74 areautomatically folded so that they project diagonally laterally outwardlyfrom the opposite sides 14 and 16 of the carton as shown best in FIGS. 1and 4. This causes the end sections 32 and 34 to be folded so that theyare inclined upwardly or laterally inwardly from the bottom section 12,and the end sections extending from the top panels 24 and 26 are alsoautomatically deflected or inclined downwardly or inwardly as shown bestin FIG. 2. Finally, the end sections 40 and 42 are respectively foldedover the top end sections 60-62 and 8il82 and secured thereto. It willbe appreciated that the end sections may be secured together by variousmeans such, for example, as adhesives, tapes, staples and the like. Itwill also be appreciated that, if desired, the end sections 40 and 42may be folded inwardly before the top panels 24 and 26 have been foldedover the book so that the end panels 40 and 42 will be disposed withinrather than 3 over the complementary end panels top sections 24 and 26.

It is to be noted that the structure described above provides the bookfolder or carton with portions at its opposite ends having generallytriangular transverse cross sections and generally designated by thenumerals 96 and 98. These triangular portions are relatively rugged soas to resist crushing or damage thereto which might in turn cause damageto the book packaged within the carton. Furthermore, it is to be notedthat any force which tends to jam the book against or into the portions96 and 98 will not necessarily be absorbed completely by the edges ofthe book but rather will tend to cause the book to Wedge between theangularly disposed end section of the folder so as further to minimizeany damage of injury to the book. The triangular portions presentreinforced and relatively rugged end corners or ribs 100 and 102 whichwill normally bear the brunt of shocks or crushing forces directedagainst the ends of the carton, and these ribs are not only capable ofwithstanding considerable impact or crushing forces but are also spacedfrom the ends of the book so that the forces will be absorbed by thediagonally disposed end sections and transverse bottom and top sectionsof the folder rather than by the book. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, theconstruction described above also provides the finished carton or folderwith corner portions 104, 106, 108 and 110 which project laterally fromopposite sides of the carton and provide bumpers for absorbing manyimpact or crushing forces or the like to which the package may besubjected during storing, handling or shipping.

extending from the opposite end of the carton are automatically shiftedto their closed positions. Finally the end flap 40a and thecorresponding flap at the opposite end of the carton are folded over andsecured in place with adhesive, tape, or any other suitable means. Thefolder or carton 10a may also be assembled or folded around an articlein much the same manner as the embodiment described above except thatthe triangular elements are folded inwardly.

While the preferred-embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may bechanged without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

'1 to each other and to the first mentioned bend lines and In FIGS. 5,6, 7 and 8 there is shown a slightly modi- 7 fied form of the presentinvention which is similar to'the above described embodiment asindicated by application of identical reference numerals with the suifixa added to corresponding elements. This embodiment difiers in that thecorner portions of the carton are formed so I end bend lines and thebend lines along said complethat they may be tucked inwardly and also sothat the carton may be partially assembled and stored or shipped in aflattened condition and then opened for receiving an article to bepackaged. More specifically, the end sections 32a and 60a, instead ofbeing joined directly to the.

triangular end portion 48a are scored along bend lines 112 and 114 so asto provide triangular sections 116 and 118 integrally joined to thetriangular end portion 48a along the bend lines 5651 and 68a. The restof the corner portions are similarly formed and need not be shown anddescribed in detail. It suffices to state that the corner portion 106awhich is shown along with the corner portion 104a is provided withscored bend lines 120 and 122 in the end'sections 32a and 62a forproviding elements or sections 122 and 124. The folder 10a may bepartially assembled as shown in FIG. 8 and retained in this condition bya tape 126 or other suitable means. When the carton is in the conditionshown in FIG. 8, it may be substantially flattened for shipping orstoring by folding the side sections 14a and 16a in the same direction.Subsequently, a packager may easily shift the side section back to theposition shown in FIG. 8 so as to open the ends of the carton forreceiving a book or other article. Then the triangular corner portionsare tucked inwardly and the end portions 32a, 60a and 62a and thecorrespondingend portion at the having a combined width similar to thewidth of said body between said first mentioned bend lines, a pair ofend sections respectively articulated to opposite ends of said bodymember along substantially parallel end scored bend lines which aresubstantially perpendicular to said first mentioned bend lines,additional pairs of opposite end portions respectively articulated toopposite ends of said complemental members along scored bend lines whichare substantially in alignment vw'th the last named end bend lines,pairs of generally triangular end elements articulated to oppositeend's'of said side sections in alignment with said end bend lines, saidend portions and said end section being articulated directly to saidtriangular elements along scored bend lines converging from the mentalmembers. a

2. A blank, as defined in claim 1, wherein the sheet material iscorrugated board. l

3. A blank, as defined in claim 1, whichincludes a pair of flapsrespectively articulated to outer end edges of said end sections andadapted to be folded into overlapping relationship with said endportions when the blank is formed into a carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent man Paper Products Corp.,copyright 1948, 24 pages. (Copy available in Div. 40.)

